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WORD OF THE ED
Dear Valued Member,
“Knowledge is the gateway to successful business, The Employers Conference was held to facilitate knowledge sharing so we can have a significant impact on the businesses we do, the economy and the societies in which we operate”, Douglas Opio. Hear more from our Executive Director on the motivation behind the recently concluded inaugural Employers Conference and prospects for the future.
Watch here:
In this Issue
- The Word of the ED
- The FUE Employers’ Conference
- FUE and ILO-GBNFL present New Global Estimates on Forced Labour
- Kigezi Investment Summit
- Employee Well-Being, Recognition and Rewards Webinar
- Upcoming Events
THE FUE EMPLOYERS’ CONFERENCE
The long-anticipated FUE Employers’ Conference was convened on Thursday 15th September 2022 at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel from 8:00am to 4:00pm (EAT) under the theme ‘Employer Resilience in a COVID-19 World’. This theme was inspired by COVID-19 pandemic which changed the world in so many ways since 2020, with businesses not being an exception.
Employers from various sectors of the economy gathered to identify issues, learn and share practical solutions to advance business recovery and employment creation post COVID-19.
Our Executive Director, Douglas Opio in his opening remarks notified Employers that the conference will be a knowledge platform to discuss employment relations, fair recruitment policies and best business practices in the world of work. He implored Employers to adapt emerging work trends such as digitalisation, skills development, diversity, inclusion and labour mobility to continue business operations.
Mr. Jealous Chirove, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Representative and Guest of Honor in his speech appreciated FUE for their commitment to supporting Employers thrive through the pandemic by conducting capacity building trainings and developing workplace guides.
He encouraged Employers to engage during the conference deliberations and build professional networks within their sectors to boost organisation growth.
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Mthunzi Mdwaba, the Chairman Productivity South Africa and was centered on the need for the tripartite partners and the ILO to build productivity systems to enhance employer competitiveness and influence government policy at global level. He articulated the role of human resource practitioners in making key decisions to promote maximum productivity at the workplace.
At the conference, we held two panel discussions with the first panel moderated by Ms. Rosemary Ssenabulya discussing the ‘Challenges, Opportunities of Apprenticeship in Technical, Vocational Education & Training (TVET) and the Role of Employers’. The panelists were Dr. Patrick Byakatonda, Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT), Mr. Oyesigye Onesmus, Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB), Ms. Jean Byamugisha, Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA) and Ms. Mary Nyaga, Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA). These seasoned speakers advocated for a skills development program and curriculum to ensure an employer-led TVET system for job creation and economic development.
The second panel discussion addressed ‘Decent Work and Social Dialogue in Uganda’ with Mr. Musa Okello, National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU), Mr. Jealous Chirove, ILO Representative, Ms. Enid Nambuya, Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies (UAERA) and Ms. Grace Nabakooza, the Head Employment Relations and Legal, FUE. The tripartite partners, UAERA and ILO believe that decent work will be attainable through good employment relations, upholding social protection, ensuring labour compliance, streamlining recruitment processes whereas social dialogue can be achieved through collaboration and partnership among various stakeholders.
In addition, we conducted the Employer of the Year Award (EYA) 2021/2022 Survey Feedback seminar to highlight the business practices that were used to recognise outstanding Employers that excelled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prof. Julius Kikooma, the EYA Lead Consultant outlined leveraging technology, talent management, employee well-being, disability inclusion, eliminating child labour, occupational health and safety as aspects used to rank employer resilience among various employers that participated in the EYA 2021/22 survey. EYA 2021/22 winners that excelled in the various categories had the opportunity to share the best employment practices they applied to continue business operations despite the unprecedented times.
A big congratulations to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd cohorts that successfully completed the Executive Training in Employment Relations (ETER) course. We believe the various skills and knowledge received will equip you to promote good employment relations at your workplaces.
Sign up today for the ETER 2023 intake! Contact, Yusuf Nsubuga, our Training Manager on yusuf.nsubuga@fuemployers.org | +256 783 717 110 or +256 702 780 515 for more information.
We appreciate all Employers for their active participation in the inaugural FUE Employers’ Conference. We believe your ideas, recommendations, experiences and best practices will transform the development of the FUE Business Agenda (2022-2025). Special thanks to our partners and sponsors for their generous contribution to make this conference a success. Onwards and Upwards in strengthening the Employers’ fraternity!
If you missed the FUE Employers’ Conference, click the links to watch the conference proceedings:
FUE AND ILO-GBNFL PRESENT NEW GLOBAL ESTIMATES ON FORCED LABOUR
According to the International Labour Organisation
(ILO) statistics, there are 27.6 million people in situations of forced labour
on any given day with women and girls accounting for 11.8 million. Forced
labour as set out in the ILO Forced Labour Convention 1930 refers to all work
or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty for
which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily.
On Tuesday 20th September 2022, we
partnered with the ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour (ILO-GBNFL) to
host the African Regional Briefing on the Global Estimates on Forced Labour for
Employers and business representatives. The was held mainly to discuss key
actions necessary for identifying, preventing and addressing ILO’s 11
indicators of forced labour as well as the role of the private sector in
eradication of forced labour.
The session highlighted the main challenges to eliminating forced labour such as poor enforcement of labour laws, widespread poverty, limited knowledge and poor coordination between tripartite partners. Effective resource mobilisation, strengthened policy frameworks for fair recruitment, increased awareness programs, upholding labour inspection, use of technology, staff capacity building and publishing reports on mediation efforts were recommended as practical solutions to end forced labour.
As we work towards achieving Target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it’s vital for the private sector, ILO and tripartite partners to build knowledge sharing platforms and gather resources to combat forced labour in the African region.
THE KIGEZI INVESTMENT SUMMIT
The Kigezi Investment and Free Zone Summit was organised by the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), an esteemed FUE member to showcase Uganda’s industralisation potential to boost job creation, commercial agriculture, trade, mineral exploitation and technological advancement.
We were privileged to participate in the summit with key Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that make up the UIA One Stop Centre on Saturday 24th September 2022 in Kisoro District. The event theme was, ‘Mobilisation of Domestic Investment for Prosperity and Regional Intergration’.
The Guest of Honor, Hon. Matia Kasaijja, the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in his speech emphasised the deliberate pursuit of the industrial revolution by the government to increase employment creation in Uganda. He assured local and foreign investors they would have access to tax waivers to support their projects in the agricultural, manufacturing, tourism, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors.
Hon. Evelyn Anite, the Minister of State for Investment and Privatisation revealed that UIA has secured land needed to establish 25 industrial parks in the 18 zones across the country. She urged investors to focus on value addition and the production of goods for exports to fully benefit from the available regional market located around the industrial park.
After the summit proceedings, the Kisoro Industrial and Business Park that sits on 520 acres of land was officially launched by Hon. Matia Kasaija.
We encourage Employers to explore investment opportunities in agricultural, manufacturing and agro-processing sectors to promote job creation, enhance regional market integration and increase government revenue through taxation for national development. There is need for collaboration with the Government to improve livelihoods, generate wealth and advance financial independence.
EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING, RECOGNITION AND REWARDS WEBINAR
On Wednesday, 21st September 2022, we were delighted to host a webinar themed, ’Employee Well-Being, Recognition and Rewards that Work’ in partnership with our esteemed member Brighter Monday Uganda. Our Guest Speaker was Ms. Deborah A. Maitum, the People and Culture Director at World Vision Uganda.
During the webinar, participants were taught that employee well-being covers the physical, mental, social and financial state of the workforce including self-esteem, security, cognitive needs, physical nourishment, belonging and love. The numerous benefits of employee well-being to an organisation were revealed for instance
business growth, increased staff retention, maximum productivity and better relationships between the management and staff. Employers were additionally advised to develop a recognition and rewards plan to motivate outstanding staff excelling in their various roles.
Furthermore, business leaders were urged to deliberately focus on the emerging trends in the workplace such as disability inclusion, digitalisation, flexibility, occasional rewards sessions and occupational health and safety among others.
A healthy and motivated workforce is a valuable asset to an organisation because it promotes business growth. Every Employer has a significant role to ensure they appreciate and recognise their staff to maintain a conducive work environment at all times.
If you missed this webinar, kindly click the link to watch recording;
Recording Link:
Passcode: PCnxkv5+
UPCOMING EVENT
